Means to indicate the angular speed of moving objects



Aug. 7, 1923. 1,464,208

W. S. MAKAROFF MEANS TO INDICATE THE ANGULAR SPEED OF MOVING OBJECTS Filed Feb. 21, 1918 /N VENTO/q Patented Aug. 7, 1923-. n

UNITED STATESy 1,464,208 PATENT OFFICE.

WAIDIM S. MAKAROFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE FORD INSTRUMENT COMPANY, INC., 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

MEANS TO INDICATE THE ANGULAR SPEED OF MOVING OBJECTS.

Application led February 21, 1918. Serial No. 218,488.

To all whom t may comewt.

Be it known that I, WADIM S. MAKAROFF, a citizen of Russia, residing in the borough of Manhattan, of the city of New York, in the State of-New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means to Indicate the Angular Speed of Moving Objects, of which the following is a specication, reference bein had to the accompanying drawing,`form1ng a part hereof.

is invention has for its object to produce a device whereby the angular speed of a distant moving object, with respect -to the point at whichthe observer stands, may be indicated to lthe observer. The device can be used for different purposes and in differexit ways. Thus, for example, it might be used to indicate the angular speed of a warship, moving in a substantially horizontal plane or it might be used to indicate the angu ar speed of an aeroplane, moving in a substantially vertical plane. It might thus be used as an adjunct to or in connection with fire control devicesemployed in the laying of guns upon moving targets, indicating to the observer the correction which should be made either in the bearing of an object which is moving horizontally, or in the elevation of an object which is moving in avertical plane.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which a suitable embodiment thereof is illustrated, and in which- A Figure 1 is a viewnin front elevation ofan instrument which embodies the invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the same partly in horizontal section on rthe plane indicated by the line 2 2 of Figure l, looking downward.

The moving parts of the device maybe mounted upon any suitable base which is shown in the drawing asa horizontal table a. Upon ythe table is mounted a frame b which supports a sighting tube c or other suitable sighting device which, in the present instance, is shown as mounted pivotally 'upon/f' a horizontal axis c in a secondary frame c2 which is su ported upon the-frame b so as to be capab e of movement about the vertical axis. The sighting tube c is therefore capable of universal movement about the point of coincidence of the horizontal and p the vertical axes referred to. The sighting yof such axis. .gaged operatively by a yoke h carried by device should be capable kof being moved quickly by the observer so that it can be laid quickly upon the moving object and to be capable of being moved thereafter in ac cordance with the movement of the object so as to follow the same, that is, to be laid on the same during its movement. A gearing suitable for the accomplishment of this dual purpose is illustrated in the drawing and as there shown comprises a vertical shaft al, mounted in a suitable bearing in the frame b and having secured at its upper end a secondary frame c2. At its lower end the shaft Z has secured thereto one member d of an ordinary differential arin The corresponding member d of t is di erential gearingis properly supported on the base a vand is adapted to be rotated conveniently by one hand of the observer. For this purpose it may have, as shown, a bevel pinion da engaged by a corresponding bevel pinion d* on a shaft d5 which is mounted in suitable bearings and may be provided, routside the frame, with a hand wheel d?. The intermediate pinions e, e of the dierential gearing are carried by a spider e which is'supported so as to be rotatable freely on the frame b and has secured thereto, as usual, a bevel gear e2 which is enga ed with a bevel gear e3 on a shaft f, wherey the sightin ydevice may be made to follow the moving oject through 'the rotation of the shaft f.

On the base a is mounted a friction disc g which is rotated at a constant speed from any suitable motor, such as a clock-train, indicated at g. This friction disc, in the embodiment illustrated, constitutes a prime mover by which the sighting device may be made to vfollow the moving object.

The shaft f may. have suitable bearings in a frame f and is provided, between the bearings,sw1th a long key or feather f2, so that the friction wheel it, rotated by contact with the friction disc g, shall rotate the shaft f at a speed proportionate to the distance of the frictionrfewheel h from the axis of rotation ofthe disc gand shall be capable of being shifted toward or from the axis of rotation of the disc g at either side The friction wheel it is ena traveling nut h3, which`also, has a pointer la* for co-operation with a suitable scale i. The traveling nut h3 is engaged by a screwthreaded shaft lc which is'mounted in suitat the same angular speed as that which the able `bearings in the frame f', parallel with the shaft f, and is provided, outside ofthe frame f', with a hand wheel k.

The mode. of use of the improved device arrangement may be made to s'uit different conditions of use, if the instrument is used by itself', or in immediate conjunction with is as follows: other instruments, suchas fire control in- The screw shaft k is rotated so as to cause struments, and that the invention, therefore, thetraveling nut h3 to occupy its central is not to be limited to the particular conposition, with the pointer 71.* at zero on thj struction and arrangement of parts shown scale z'. The friction wheel h will then stan and described herein except as pointed out in contact with the friction disc4 g in line with the axis of rotation of the friction disc and the friction wheel will therefore stand still. The shaft f will also be stationary and the` ar e2 and spider e of the differential gearing will also be stationary. Rotation of the gear d of the differential gearing by the shaft d5 and hand wheel tl will therefore enable the sighting device c to be laid quickly upon the .moving object, the sighting device being at the same time swung upon a horizontal axis. The sighting device having been laid upon the moving object the observer, with his other hand, rotates the screw shaft k, in one direction or the other, until, through the'shifting of the friction wheel h upon the friction disc Vg (which rotates at a constant speed), the shaft f is driven'at that speed which, through the gears c3, e2, the intermediate pinions e and the gear d', causes the sighting device to be moved about` its vertical axis in the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An angular speed indicator comprising a sighting device movable about an axis,

axis and means'tovaiy the speed of movement of the sighting device about its axis.

2. An angular speed indicator comprising a sighting device movable about an axis, power operated means and transmission devices to move the sighting device about such axis, means to vary the speed of movement of the sighting device aboutits axis, and an variation.

3. An angular speed indicator comprising a sighting device, a constant speed prime mover, shiftable transmitting devices between the prime mover and the sighting device whereby the sighting device may be made to move at different angular speeds, means to effect the shifting ofthe transmitting devices to vary the angularspeed of the sighting device, and an indicator to indicate the extent of such shifting.

4. An angular speed indicator comprising a sighting device, a constant speed prime mover, sliiftable transmitting devices vbemoving object has with respect to the same axis. The gear cl2 can be moved at the same time, as may be necessary to enable the observer to keep the sighting device laid upon the object but the gear (l2 may be regarded as relatively stationary, so that the following movement of the sighting device is effected bythe rotation of the shaft f. The pointer h, which ytravels with the nut h3 and the friction wheel It, will therefore indicate, upon the scale z' the distance of the friction wheel h4 from the axis of rotation of the friction disc g, and therefore the speed of rotation of the shaft f, and therefore the s eed with which the sighting device swings a out its vertical axis in following the moving object, and therefore the angular velocity ofthe moving object, and therefore, at any instant, the correction which must be made, by reason of the movement of the object, in laying the gun, for example. A

If the appara-tus is placed in the position shown in Figure 1, with the shaft f horizontal and the axis of rotation of the dif-g ferential gearing vertical, the device will indicate the change of bearing, that is, the angular speed inl a horizontal plane, of the movin object, while if the device is placed with t e axis of rotation ofthe differential gearin horizontal, the device may be used to indicate the angular speed in a vertical plane of the moving object.

It will also be understood that various vice whereby the sighting device may be made to move at different angular speeds, means to effect the shifting of the transmitting devices to vary the angular speed of the sighting device, an indicator to indicate the extent of such shifting, and independent means to move the sighting device.

5. An yangular speed indicator compris- .ing a sighting device, a friction disc rotated wheel co-operating with the friction disc, transmitting devices between the friction wheel and the sighting device, means to efrespect to the axis of rotation ofthefriction disc and an indicator to indicate the extent of such shifting.

6. An angular speed indicator comprising a constant speed, a shift-able friction wheel co-operating with the friction disc, transmitting devices between the friction wheel and the sighting device, means to effect the shifting of the friction wheel with respect to the axis of rotation of the friction disc,

modifications in details of construction and indicator to indicate the extent of such tween the prime mover and the sighting deat a constant speed, a shiftable frictionfeet the shifting of the friction wheel with power operated means and transmission devices to move the sighting device about suclia sighting device, a friction disc rotated at i an indicator to indicate the extent of such shifting, and independent means to move the si hting device.

7. n angular speed indicator comprising a. sighting device, a differential gearing by one member of which the sighting device is carried, means to rotate the corresponding member of the differential gearing Lo move the sighting device and power operated means to drive the intermediate member of the differential gearing at a speed in 'accordance with the angular speed 'of the sighting device.

8. An angular speed indicator comprising a sighting device, a lfriction disc rotated at a constant speed, a shiftable friction Wheel co-operating with the friction disc, a differential gearin driven by said friction wheel, said sighting device being carried by one member of said differential gearing, and independent means to drive the other member of said diii'erential gearing.

This specification signed this 20th day of February, A. D; 1918.

WADIM S. MAKAROFF. 

